Montreal Canadiens star forward Cole Caufield has written an emotional tribute to Johnny Gaudreau, the hockey player killed by a drunk driver last Thursday night.
Gaudreau, 31, who previously spent nine seasons with Calgary, and his younger brother Matthew, 29, died last Thursday after being struck by a vehicle while riding bicycles in New Jersey the night before their sister Katie’s wedding.
The driver, Sean M. Higgins, 43, of Woodstown, has been charged with two counts of vehicular homicide without bail and is alleged to have been under the influence of alcohol at the time of the crash.
Caufield posted a tribute to Gaudreau on Instagram and in the process revealed that he would be changing his number from 22 to 13 in honor of Johnny.
“We all lost an incredible person, both on and off the ice, in last week’s tragedy,” Caufield posted on his Instagram page.
Canadiens star Cole Caufield will change his number to 13 in honour of Johnny Gaudreau
Caufield described the late Gaudreau as his “hero” in an emotional tribute on social media
‘My deepest condolences to the entire Gaudreau family, especially Johnny’s wife and two children, whom I had the pleasure of knowing.
“Nothing can ever fill the void felt by their families and loved ones, but I hope they find some comfort in knowing that these two made a positive impact on the lives of so many people. They will be truly missed.”
“Being able to play alongside your hero is something most people only dream of. I was lucky enough to be Johnny’s teammate last summer and it didn’t take long for me to realize what a great person he was.
“He was the most welcoming, genuine, and fun guy I’ve ever met. He was someone everyone was drawn to, and I took every opportunity I could to be around him.
‘Not only was he an amazing hockey player and teammate, but he was also a down-to-earth person and truly cared about every person he met.
‘The last few years playing as number 22 have been some of the best years of my life. It really has been a dream come true and I will always hold those memories and that number close to me.
‘At one point in my career I wore the number 13 for Johnny and now I’ll wear it again to honour him. He paved the way for younger players and showed we had a future in this game at the highest level.
“I will always be grateful to him for inspiring me and others. Rest in peace, Johnny Hockey.”
Sean M. Higgins, 43, admitted to police that he had five to six drinks before getting behind the wheel and crashing into the Gaudreau brothers.
The accident occurred less than three miles from Matthew (left) and Johnny’s family home.
Higgins collided with the two brothers after swerving into the southbound lane to pass vehicles in front of him.
In documents seen by DailyMail.com, Suspected drunk driver Higgins admitted to police that he drank “5 or 6 beers” before getting behind the wheel of his Jeep Grand Cherokee and crashing into the Gaudreau brothers.
The crash happened less than three miles from the Gaudreau family home, hours before Katie was due to marry her partner Devin Joyce.
Tributes to both Gaudreau brothers have been pouring in throughout the weekend as the hockey world continues to grapple with the tragedy.
A GoFundMe has been set up for Matthew Gaudreau’s wife, Madeline, to help her and their growing son, Tripp.
The fund’s goal of $30,000 has been surpassed and as of this writing, over $575,000 has been raised.
Several athletes and hockey stars have donated: A $10,000 donation from the Koepka family was joined by funds from people including Artemi Panarin’s wife, Alisa, Matt Duchene, Keith Yandle and Jared Spurgeon, among others.
